The Deepest Scars
by astridt244
Summary: The fight with the Newborns was nothing like they thought. Pain, loss, and grief clouds the wolves. In his darkened state, one of them surrenders to the beast within... "Suffering is a gift, in it is hidden mercy." - Rumi
1. Chapter 1

_Non-Canon/AU/OOC_

_This was an idea I nudged around with __ShadowPast620._

**Warning: **_Strong Content_

**Do Not Own Twilight.**

* * *

"_Suffering is a gift._

_In it is hidden mercy."_

_- Rumi_

**The Deepest Scars**

* * *

**Chapter One**

.

The shape-shifter kneeled in front of his best friend's grave, violent sobs wracked through his large frame. He covered his face with his hands; the guilt and agony ate away at him; ripped him apart from the inside out.

Jacob Black was a large part of Quil's life. They grew up together, and even though a blood bond was not shared, they were brothers. They had the same sense of humor, argued over what to name their shop when they opened it, and constantly made bets on who would get a pretty girl's phone number first.

The hardest part for him to accept was the fact that he was alone.

They were always there for each other, no matter what happened in their lives.

Quil was by Jacob's side when his mother died. Jacob sat next to Quil on the days when the loss of his father hurt too much. They didn't bombard the other with incessant talk. Both knew, sometimes, you just needed a silent companion.

His heart clenched and throbbed; he missed his best friend.

He couldn't bring himself to visit Billy Black. The man was distraught, filled with intense suffering. Nothing and no one could bring him out of his grief. _A parent is not supposed to outlive their child._

Quil seemed to be living on autopilot.

When the Cullen house began to burn, once it was assured the coven would not interfere, Embry phased and has not been heard from again. Sam didn't have the energy to stop him. His own heart heavy over the loss of Jacob.

A sound brought Quil out of his thoughts. Her scent slammed into him like a freight train... _it was __her__._

The girl responsible for all this torment and death... _Bella -fucking- Swan._

Traces of salt lingered in the breeze that touched his face. _Tears._

How dare she show her face on the reservation after everything she cost the pack!

Quil stood to his full height and rolled his shoulders. Anger and venom laced his words, "What do you think you are you doing."

He felt her gaze transfixed to the back of his head.

A frail whisper replied, "I came to say goodbye to Jacob. To pay my respects."

Quil's deep, unemotional laugh echoed through the graveyard. "Respect? What the fuck would you know about respect, girl?"

Her sniffles began to infuriate him. _What right did she have to cry over someone she didn't love?_

Quil turned around and stared at the girl who ruined his best friend's life. "It takes balls to show up here, girl. Especially after the damage you did to Jacob when he was alive. All the times you spit his love back in his face like he was nothing but a piece of shit on the bottom of your shoe."

Bella's small body shook as her weeping grew. "You think I didn't love him? I did love him. A part of me will always love him. It was _me _that would never have been good enough for him. He - Jacob deserved so much more."

Something deep inside him began to unravel. He had enough of her martyr routine. With the ease of the natural born killer that he was, he prowled around her. "The leech must not have told you what happened or you would be halfway to the other side of the world right now."

Her fear invaded his senses. It only served to fuel the fury and anguish within.

"W-what do you mean?"

Quil's skin crawled as he fought the beast within; the wolf inside demanded he seek retribution and take from the selfish human.

He stopped behind her; their bodies so close, yet they barely touched. "Did the corpse tell you how Jake died? Or did he sugarcoat it so his sweet, innocent Isabella did not suffer needlessly?"

Her lifeless voice wavered, "E-Edward didn't... He told me Jake was killed. But he wouldn't tell me anything else... were you there?"

Quil put his hands on her shoulders. She was tiny, barely pec height. He could easily crush her with his bare hands. The animal inside snarled at him; it wanted something else.

Quil leaned down, his mouth hovered over her ear, his tone raw and hard. "I was there when Jacob died. I held his head so he wouldn't drown in his own blood. Victoria punched a hole in his chest to crush his heart. He managed to rip her head off before he fell to the ground." - the bile rose in his mouth; he forced it back down - "Sam had to break her fingers off in pieces so Jared and Leah could burn every bit of the leech. We would never leave Jake's body with parts of a bloodsucker inside."

He tightened his grip as he continued - sorrow touched his now blackened soul. "Oh, I know what you want little girl. You want me to give you the graphic details; like how Paul sat in a pool of blood while he held Jake's hand and cried for hours. How about the fact that after Seth and Embry torched the fucking Cullen house, Embry went wolf and we haven't seen him since."

She flinched and tried to step away from him. Quil held her still, putting more pressure on her shoulders, effectively showing her who controlled _this _situation.

Her breathing grew heavy and her heartbeat increased. "Let me go."

A deep rumble vibrated from his chest. The beast inside clawed at him, a flayed sensation sliced through him as he fought back. "No."

She tried to free herself from his grasp, only succeeding in further infuriating Quil. He spoke through clenched teeth. "Stop."

Bella's body froze. The realization of who and what she was dealing with finally settled into her mind. There was no one close to come to her rescue. Edward would not be back for her for a long time. She was alone... with an angry wolf...

"What do you want?" Her weak question barely audible, even with his heightened hearing.

Quil contemplated her question for a moment. What did he want from the girl? Why couldn't he just let her go? She deserved to be turned and exist with the knowledge that she killed the man that loved her more than anything. She deserved to be miserable with the leech and his coven.

He then thought of his best friend. Jacob was dead. He was never coming back. It was all her fault. All of her indecisiveness was the cause of this shit. She ran back and forth between the bloodsucker and Jake, never truly picking one. Bella ruined lives; she was selfish. She took and took and never gave anything. Not to Jacob, not to her father, not to anyone but Cullen.

A strange feeling came over Quil. A decision was made before he realized it. He knew what needed to be done. Her wildflower and honey scent washed over him - it was time to put a stop to Bella and her selfish ways.

"You never could make your mind up, right girl?"

"What?"

He breathed in deep and stared at the creamy skin on the shoulder exposed to him. "It doesn't matter. You'll find out what it means to belong to someone."

Her body trembled, and she babbled words that fell on deaf ears. He ignored her high pitched shriek as the pain rocked through her. His teeth pierced her, marking her flesh with his bite.

A flurry of emotions ran through him. Her tears did not stop him. He couldn't have stopped himself if he wanted to. Instead, he simply gave in. The beast inside demanded he take from Bella. This needed to be done; and now she was his.

Quil released her neck and spit out the blood in his mouth. Bella fought to breathe, _he just marked her. _She heard a conversation between Jacob and Embry about marking a mate... _Oh god - mate?_

"You... you marked me." She staggered away from him, as the weight of her realization processed.

He remained still, his fists clenched, his jaw set, his black eyes burning into hers. "I'm only going to say this one more time. Then you can leave and _try_ to go back to that fucking leech. Now you will understand what it means to belong to someone."

He strode over to Jacob's grave, touched the headstone, whispered a vow in Quileute, and then walked away from her.

* * *

_Side Note:_

_Different. Dark. Hopefully this is received well, and I will post as often as I am able to._

_Thank you for reading. _


	2. Chapter 2

"_I hurt myself today..._

_To see if I still feel..."_

_-Trent Reznor_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Bella stared at Quil's back until he disappeared into the forest. She pressed her hand against the bite on her neck, gasping at the tender, healing scar.

_Mate... oh, god... what did he do?_

Gut twisting cries ripped through her. She should not have come here alone. Edward was right... _Edward. _Her blood ran cold. _What would he do?_ Carlisle said they were leaving Port Angeles soon. Their house burned down, and they didn't want to trigger any more children to phase.

She lost Jacob. Edward had been distant from the moment he learned of her best friend's death. Now, Quil bound himself to her.

Bile rose in her throat, she didn't fight it and wretched the contents of her stomach on the dry, aged grass. Sweat trickled down her forehead, her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. Everything that's happened hit her with a brutal force. She tried to be strong, to hold it in - the burning emotions - but it was not possible anymore. She understood, after the Newborn battle, that she was a poison to those around her. A creeping, rotting toxin - decaying the loved ones in her life from the inside out.

She turned and ran as fast as she could. Tripping along the way, her face and neck steadily scratched by the low tree branches. _Escape_. She needed to get away.

The further into the dense, gloomy woodland she ran, the worse her chest ached. Her vision blurred, and coupled with the pain, she collapsed. Her overworked lungs refused to cooperate.

In that moment, she wanted to die. No eternal life. No second chance. _Nothing_... She wanted the darkness to swallow her into the dirt.

Droplets of rain splashed on her cheek. She didn't move. Time lost all meaning. Eventually, a shadow surrounded her; she closed her eyes and whispered, _"Please, leave. I'm not worth saving."_

A rough voice responded as she was lifted in warm arms, "I may hate what you caused, but I won't let you die."

* * *

Jared sat next to the cot in his living room. The girl sleeping in it looked sickly, she was smaller than he remembered, and she mumbled a lot while dreaming.

Her racing pulse almost drowned out every other sound in the vicinity. He re-positioned the blanket and stretched out on the chair.

She smelled like Quil. It wasn't a passing scent either, like a hug or an accidental touch. Her _blood _smelled of him. The ambrosial floral aroma dulled almost entirely as Quil's overtook her own.

_Why did she carry his scent? What the hell was she doing out in the fucking woods anyway?_

Her loud, pain filled groan snapped him out of his musings. Jared had no idea what to do. He called the only person he could think of.

'_Yeah.'_

"Hey. You at home?"

'_No. I'm at the Chief's. His daughters are coming home in the next few days to take care of him. What's up?'_

"I need you to come over."

'_Why?'_

"It's urgent. Just get here as soon as you can."

'_What the fuck is going on?'_

"Damnit Paul, just get your ass over here. Don't tell anyone where you are going and avoid Sam at all costs. Run human if you have to."

As the silence extended on the phone line, his nerves cranked up at the notion that Paul would not cave easily.

'_Alright. Let me get things settled here. Chief Swan is coming to spend time with Billy. I'll be there soon.'_

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay."

Jared hung up and walked back to stand vigil over the girl.

* * *

Paul made it to Jared's house in record time for his human form. He barreled through the door, startling Jared, and was instantly assaulted with Quil's musky odor.

He relax his stance once he saw Jared was not in danger, then took a moment to look at his best friend. He appeared as though he'd stared into the depths of Hell. Then Paul noticed something small, gasping on the cot.

His eyes widened. "Did you cheat on Kim?!"

In one swift movement, Jared flew off the couch and pinned him to the wall with his forearm against his throat. He spit the words out through clenched teeth, "Don't fucking go there. You _know _it's impossible to cheat on a fucking _imprint_."

Paul pushed him back and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, yeah. So what the fuck is that? Better yet, _who _is that?"

Jared rubbed his eyes and huffed in exhaustion. "It's Bella."

"Bella? As in Bella Swan, the soul sucking bitch?"

He nodded.

Paul still smelled Quil; in fact, it was more potent than the Swan girl's and she was lying not three feet away from him.

"Did Quil bring her here?"

Jared shook his head, "No. I found her near the boundary line."

Paul did not know what to make of _this_. They couldn't turn their back on a human in need of help from the corpses; and it had been obvious to them, long before today, that Bella was in need of saving. She was a sore spot for the pack. The one human they failed to protect. The one human who brought the wrath of the undead upon the area surrounding the res.

"Let her sleep, whatever is wrong with her, off. I'll talk to Sam in private in case the tick's coven starts calling."

Jared agreed. There was no disputing the fact that she was staying. He hoped, once she awakened, he could speak to her and understand why she wandered around the forest like a mad woman.

Paul left shortly after they discussed who else should known. It was decided only Sam, for now.

He sat near the girl, once again. She shivered and gasped in her sleep, cold sweat pooled on her forehead. He grabbed the damp cloth on the side table and dabbed it along her face. She twitched, jerking the cover off her; Jared's eyes zeroed in on the scar near her neck... teeth marks... _a mark_!

He stumbled back on the couch and toppled over with it. He scrambled away from the furniture and darted out the front door to breathe through the panic of his discovery.

_Quil marked Bella._

* * *

Side Note:

Thank you for reading.

* * *

_Lyric from song: Hurt (by, Nine Inch Nails)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Do Not Own Twilight.**

**...**

_Song Suggestion: you**(**tube**)**.com**(**/**)**watch?v=umGZhha6CUA_

_Remove the **(**parenthesis**)**._

* * *

_"Reminding, rewinding, removing, regretting…_

_Forgetting…"_

_-David Gray_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

The steady downpour of raindrops felt warm… much warmer than his body could ever hope to be. Edward stood beside his car, just shy of the treaty line, waiting for Bella. He tilted his head up toward the heavens, letting the precious liquid fall down his cheeks – the closest thing to true tears for one such as him.

Something changed inside… he did not anticipate the monumental guilt he would feel when Jacob's life ended.

In the tent, prior to the Newborn battle, he found himself respecting the younger man. Despite their differences, they shared a moment. One that he could not forget. Just as he told him, if they weren't natural enemies, he would have liked him. The sad truth of it all stemmed from Jacob having been -_regardless of their altercations_- the closest he'd had to a friend since his change. He did not associate with those outside of the Cullen clan.

In many ways, he envied Jacob for his humanity and all the possibilities born with life.

Bella loved Jacob. Edward accepted that, long before she admitted it to herself. After she overheard the news of her best friend's death, she was altered as well. Although she claimed to love him more, he knew it was not so.

_Guilt is a strange emotion_… one he was not accustomed to. One that grew within like a cancer as time went on.

The cell phone in his pocket vibrated. Even being far from the coven, he knew who it was.

"_I'm sorry,"_ Alice said.

"It's my cross to bear."

"_It is."_

"Can I ask you a question?"

"_Yes."_

He sighed, unnecessarily, "Why did you show me happy with her if it wasn't meant to be?"

"_It was… maybe in another time, another place… Fates change, Edward. Even you know that to be true,"_ her voice softened, placatingly.

The phone crackled with static from the rain landing on it. "Can we leave?"

"_We can always leave."_

"It's a bit late to be coy, Alice."

"_You haven't decided yet."_

Edward touched the skin of his neck, easing the tension there. For him, intense emotions, such as the turbulent ones simmering underneath, were suffocating. "You'll know when I do."

* * *

His drenched clothing stuck to his cold body. Hours crawled by, leaving him to drown in the self inflicted depression. Thinking, regretting, and finally, _deciding_.

Dusk loomed over the painted sky. He didn't notice the vibrant colors until now.

Death was not taken lightly by him. He never wanted the wolves to suffer because of his poor judgment. It was his fault Victoria went on her rampage. He miscalculated her devotion to James. Instead of doing as Jasper demanded and tearing her apart, he let her go. Victoria's gift of evasion made it difficult for him to track her mind. Her brain was filled with exit strategies, back up plans, and lies. Picking through _that_ while in the middle of hand to hand combat was near impossible.

Edward breathed in deep, tasting the air for new scents, and realized company was on their way. The wind shifted as his companion stood beside him, taking his hand in her own.

"It's not entirely your fault," she whispered.

"It is," he said.

"I could never change your mind about the good in you, and this is no different. You will believe what you feel is true."

"Did Alice send you?" Edward asked.

"No. I overheard her talking to Jasper."

"Carlisle?"

She squeezed his hand, "Waiting for you…"

"... to decide," he finished.

"And you have, haven't you."

"I guess I did."

Esme adjusted her coat, lifting the hood to cover her head. "I know."

The rain lightened to a steady trickle. Edward opened his other palm, staring at the tiny pool of accumulated water. "Humans are… _complex_… I didn't realize just how…"

"You're not human, dear. Not anymore. Not for a long time."

"I loved her."

"I know… and so did he."

_Guilt is a strange emotion._ And in that split second, with Esme near, he could not take the power of the remorse. His shoulders slumped, his head hung low, "Why do I feel this strongly."

"He was a good, young man. In love, full of life, and a bright soul. There was a reason Bella called him her _sun… _as to why you feel as much as you do, perhaps he reminded you of what humanity embodies. Perhaps it is the senselessness of it all. Though you were once loathe to admit it, a part of you thought of him as a friend."

"I'm finding it to have been a larger part that considered him as such."

"Grief and guilt fade with time, Edward."

He lifted his eyes, meeting her maternal gaze, "_Maybe._"

Esme gave him privacy to make his preparations. She coerced him into promising he would be on his way to their hotel in Seattle soon. After all, they had a long flight to catch. When he was sure she was gone, Edward called the older Alpha of the Quileute wolves...

.

.

"_Uley residence."_

"It's Edward Cullen."

"_What do you want, parasite?"_ the man seethed.

"Our coven is leaving, as told to, and I wanted to request a favor."

The hollow laughter was expected, as well as the anger, _"Request away, leech. It's not like I have to do a fucking thing for you."_

"Watch over the Swan family… Bella included."

The older Alpha was stunned silent for half a second. _"Why should we?"_

"You value life, all life, just as I do."

"_Not that I give a shit, but why is she staying?"_

"She doesn't… this is not easy. She's a teenager, and I should have known better… No. That's a lie. I _did _know better, I just did not care enough at the time."

"_Too little, too late, tick."_

Edward somber mood seeped through the static line, "I prefer the saying, better late than never… she's on the reservation now… at Jacob's grave."

He could hear the man on the other end curse in frustration before relenting, _"We'll find her."_

"Thank you."

"_I'm not doing this for you or for her. I'm doing this for Charlie and Billy. They deserve more from that girl."_

"I agree-" Edward said the words to no one. Sam hung up immediately after saying his peace. The cell phone was ruined from water damage. He crushed it in his hand, turning it to fragments. For the first time in a week, he felt a small amount of relief.

There would be no more loss because of him.

He opened the door to his Volvo - not caring about his water logged clothing - revved the engine, and drove away from Forks and La Push, Washington for the last time.

* * *

_Lyric from Song: Forgetting (by, David Gray)_

* * *

Side Note:

Thank you for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

"_I will let you down..._

_I will make you hurt..."_

_-Trent Reznor_

* * *

The hours slipped by unnoticed; Quil sat on the sands of Third Beach, staring out at the quiet waves. His thoughts were scattered - leaping from his imprint to Claire to the selfish girl he marked and his lost, grief stricken best friend. Quil was angry, destroyed, and no longer the carefree pack member he once was. The change was welcomed, embraced; his wolf demanded things of him... dark whispers that grew louder the longer he was away from the source of his agony... the girl...

He wanted to hurt someone. _Something_...

The candied-bleach smell clung heavily to the breeze. In an instant, he jerked up and ran in the direction of the scent. The forest blurred past him, for being as wide as a boulder, he was the lightest one on his feet of the pack. Deliberately breathing in the nauseating aroma, he calculated the distance left before he caught his prey. _Destroy. Take. Take. Take._

She looked like the redhead. A boy lay in her arms, limp, lifeless... her grotesque face smeared with fresh, crimson blood...

He should have phased. He should have called for the pack... however, he simply could _not_. He needed this act of violence, of retribution, almost as much as the oxygen in his lungs.

A loud, terrifying roar startled the vampire into dropping the youth in her grasp. She bared her teeth, snapping in all directions at the oncoming predator. Quil hurled his massive body through the air, knocking his enemy to the ground. His large hand wrapped around her neck, squeezing until he heard the _crack _of marble flesh. It sent a shudder of satisfaction down his spine.

He lithely stood, continuing to hold the vampire off her feet, feeding the tormented, raging fire within. His spit on her face, disgusted by the abomination in his grasp. A firm clutch on her arm, and ripped it off her body - slowly, painfully...

The call for vengeance strong, brutal, and_ oh, so_ sweet.

* * *

Elder Quil rocked in his chair, never moving, seemingly always waiting. He was worried about his grandson. The worry and anxiousness was normal when having a warrior to look after. It simply built upon itself when his only grandson imprinted on a child. On the outside, the older Quil forced a congratulatory facade. He knew if he did not remain positive, the younger Quil would panic. Inside, he was confused and angered.

_How was this imprint the best for his grandson?_

This last week the concern has become overwhelming. He did not recognize the person that Quil evolved into after Jacob's death. Chief Black could not stand to see anyone, and banned them all from his home. The only one who dared ignore the order was Lahote and Chief Swan.

"_Elder Ateara!"_ Sam bellowed as he ripped the front door off its hinges.

"Boy, what in the world-"

The Alpha snarled at him, making the Elder stand and clench his fists. "Explain yourself, Son."

"Where is he?!"

"Who?"

Sam took the door and hurled it to the yard, "Don't give me that shit! Quil! Where the hell is he?!"

"You had better calm yourself down, Samuel. Disrespecting me, and acting crazed in my home isn't going to make Junior appear out of thin air."

Sam struggled to reign in his anger, breathing heavily, his entire body shook from keeping the phase at bay. "I just came from Jared's... your... Quil marked Bella."

The Elder refused to believe the accusation. "You must be mistaken. He is imprinted-"

"_I know_, better than most, what an imprint is supposed to mean. Do not patronize me. I smelled him. She reeks of him, and the fucking bite... I know what he did, and I want to know what the fuck he was thinking!" The Alpha punched a hole through the wall, quaking the entire cottage.

Old Quil was speechless... stunned... and _infuriated_.

He ignored the ranting of the Alpha warrior, grabbed his raincoat, and made his way to his truck. He needed to gain some clarity and seek guidance from the spirits. In the back of his mind, he wondered what else was in store for his family... _What did it mean for his grandson now that he tied Chief Swan's daughter to himself?_

* * *

Jared rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His exhaustion was nearing delirium after the long, drawn out visit from his Alpha. The phone rang, _again_, and judging by the goosebumps on his skin, it was Kim.

He dragged himself off the couch, and answered on the sixth ring. "Yes."

_"What do you mean, yes? I don't understand what is going on, and you answer the phone nonchalantly? Why haven't we spent any time together in the last week, Jared?"_

His head pounded from the coming migraine. "The answer to all your questions is nothing. Nothing is going on. Nothing is wrong."

_"That doesn't tell me when I can see you," a long, hitched breath later, "You know you can't lie to me."_

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Jared's brow furrowed in irritation.

_"I don't have to explain it to you. You understand what it means."_

"How about you tell me what the fuck you're talking about. Because if you think that I'm going to let you-" the line died. He'd crushed the phone in his hand, _again_.

"Fuck!" He hollered, tossing the device in the garbage. He loathed when Kim's insecurities made themselves known.

At first, they were good together as a couple. Paul did not comprehend how she made him a better pack member. Neither of them could believe it when the imprint happened in the middle of class. Jared hardly remembered meeting her before. She seemed far too shy for him. Sam encouraged him to give in and dive head first into the imprint. Kim _was_ chosen for him by the gods.

Against his better judgement, he did as told... Now, he's unsure if he made the right choice.

Groaning from the living room gave him an excuse to cease his self pity. He hurried to Bella's side as she struggled to sit up. "Easy there, girl. Take it slow."

"What... where am I?" She squinted her eyes as she looked at him, "Jared?"

"Yeah," he held her forearm to steady her, "At least we know your memory is still intact."

She gasped and her hand flew to her shoulder. Her small, delicate fingers grazed over the mark. "It really did happen," she whispered.

"You mean the mark?"

She nodded. Bottom lip trembling, misty gaze trained on him, "Why... I don't understand."

Jared patted her back, carefully, unsure of how to behave in front of the girl. "That makes two of us."

* * *

**Side Note:**

Graveyard shift at work has made editing/writing/reading very difficult. I hope y'all are still with me. It is the bridge for the coming confrontation. ;)

* * *

_(Lyric from Hurt, by Nine Inch Nails)_


	5. Chapter 5

"_Do you know how far this has gone?_

_Just how damaged I have become?"_

_- Trent Reznor_

* * *

**Five Days Later**

* * *

Quil dragged his body to the small river, bringing water to his dry lips, he groaned at the ache inside.

After he released his fury on the female vampire, he ran. Away from La Push and familiarity, losing himself in vengeful acts. Before the Newborn battle, he did not think such darkness lurked beneath the surface. Only a slight, luminescent piece of him lingered… his child imprint...

Fate, however, had a twisted sense of humor when it came to his destiny.

The day he bit the Swan girl, those tentacle-like cables of his imprint gently thrummed, and loosened their vise grip on his heart. Every hour since then, he felt the _snip_ of his ties to Claire… until nothing remained. The last attachment to the toddler vanished not long ago, and with it, his body fought against the release. He did not belong to an imprint anymore.

_It hurt. _

Far more than he imagined. A sense of loss smothered him, threatening to steal the very breath from his body. A battle ensued within; life versus death… a choice had to be made. So, he struggled against it, determined that this was not how his life ended.

He was never meant to be intertwined with the child.

The animal stirred at the oncoming void. Territorially pacing, clawing at his skull, bombarding him with images of ivory skin, blood stains, and brown eyes. Binding him to the act of the mark, twisting him to its will… He pushed back, forcing to reminisce of anger and violence against the undead that _she _welcomed with open arms. The hazel wolf would not be deterred; gaining his attention by bringing more anguish as the binding reinforced itself… Commanding that he live, for himself… for _her_... the chains tightened around him. The girl his best friend loved became _his reason..._

Quil hated himself. This craving for the selfish girl vexed him. It should not be there; this devouring, incessant urge to _take _from the fragile human.

_Not so fragile, though, is she?_

She obliterated Jacob. Tormented his heart. Pushed him away, only to pull him back in. Such wickedness should not be allowed to thrive. He'd tasted the remnants of the parasite's scent when her blood rushed onto his tongue.

The lifeless creature had no more claim to her. And, if the tick dare test him, there would be no place on earth for it to hide.

He shivered in the feel of hatred… the inherent knowledge, and power to kill pricked at him deliciously...

* * *

He rolled over, letting the leaves and twigs dig into his back. He searched his soul, rummaging through what became a blackened, stained wisp of humanity, and found that he did not want to harm her. No more physical pain shall be thrust upon her; for she has done more damage than any vampire or shifter could ever hope to do.

_Oh,_ she will learn the error of her ways. _Penance _- if it can be called such a thing.

He knew, just as he understood the beast's yearning to_ take _and _claim_, he would return to La Push. Raising himself off the grass, he took one last look around his refuge, then jogged between the surrounding red woods, and headed home.

It was time to face the consequences of his actions, and do what must be done.

* * *

_(Lyric from Song, Even Deeper, by Nine Inch Nails)_


End file.
